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Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC defeat Dynamo

March 24, 2012 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


SEATTLE - David Estrada scored his fourth goal in two games and Brad Evans converted the first penalty kick of the season as Sounders FC defeated the Houston Dynamo 2-0 in front of 38,30 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Michael Gspurning notched the first clean sheet of his MLS career to help Sounders FC go to 2-0-0 in their debut on NBC Sports Network.

Sounders FC (2-0-0, 6 points) remain unbeaten on the young season and have improves to 3-2-2 in the all-time regular season series with Houston.

Houston (2-1-0, 6 points) lost for the first time in 2012 and will resume MLS play on April 15 at Chicago.

Estrada's goal came on a volley after Houston cleared a Seattle corner kick in the 23rd minute. The low, hard shot deflected off Houston defender Geoff Cameron and into the right side of the net after keeper Tally Hall dove left.

The goal gives Estrada four goals through the first two games of the season, a first for a Sounders FC player.

Seattle made it 2-0 just three minutes later when Evans converted a penalty kick after Patrick Ianni was pulled down in the box as he rose to head a corner kick. Evans' shot went low and right, and despite guessing correctly, Hall couldn't make the save.

Evans is now 4-4 in his career on PK's, all coming with Seattle (3-3 in 2011).

The win marks the first time since their inaugural season in 2009 that Sounders FC has started 2-0-0. They have scored five goals through their first two games, also tying a record set in 2009. They have eight goals through four games across all competitions.

The result marks the first MLS clean sheet for Gspurning, the six-foot five-inch Austrian keeper in his first year with Sounders FC. In the 17th minute, Houston forward Will Bruin slammed a hard shot from the top of the box, but Gspurning jumped and punched it over the crossbar.

Despite only having two shots on goal, Houston put pressure on the net all game. Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis put multiple crosses accurately in the box, but Gspurning continually reached out or rose up to punch them clear.

Alvaro Fernandez, who had two assists in Seattle's opener, almost added to his total on a couple occasions. In the 40th minute, Marc Burch led Fernandez up the left side before he accurately crossed to a streaking Estrada, but a Houston defender was able to make the clearance. In the 53rd minute, Fernandez crossed to a wide-open Roger Levesque, starting for the injured Mauro Rosales, but his shot went wide.

Servando Carrasco and Christian Sivebaek made their second MLS appearance as substitutes when they came on for Brad Evans and Fredy Montero, respectively. Leo Gonzalez made his 2012 MLS debut when he came on for Levesque in the 81st minute.

Sounders FC wraps up a three-game home stand on Saturday, March 31 at 7 p.m. PT against the San Jose Earthquakes on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field.

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